"Iron Lady"

Today, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit a warm-hearted 88 year old woman who I will refer to as Susan. Susan has a series of health issues. These issues includes diabetes, arthritis, heart valve disorder, anemia, neuropathy, and pancreatic disorder. Despite her various conditions, she showed a bright smile on her face which I admire. She was so sweet and I was able to converse with her as if she was a good friend of mine.

Susan lives alongside her son in a small rural town. Her grandkids and kids visit her quite often, keeping her company and keeping those family bonds strong.

My mother asked Susan to perform a test of how long she could walk without getting tired. Determined, she grabbed her walker and began walking around the house with my mom supporting her as well. A couple minutes in, my mom asked her if she was tired and wanted to stop but she wanted to keep on going. She made the amazing effort to walk around her house for 7 minutes! Despite her old age, Susan showed that she wanted to be independent and continues to strive to improve her health.

Learnings:

Seeing Susan allowed me to notice that those who put effort into improving their health and pushing beyond their limits often see great results in health. Health of patients is not improved just through the work of healthcare providers, but also the efforts put in by the patients themselves. Without the efforts of both sides, achieving optimum health is not possible. Determination is key.